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(Forensic) Clinical PsychologyDr Suzanne O’Rourke

Phd; D.Clin.Psych.

Clinical Psychology

� Aims:

� reduce psychological distress

� enhance and promote psychological well-being.

� Addresses:

� Anxiety, depression, relationship problems, learning disabilities, child and

family problems, psychosis, addictions etc.

� Assessment methods:

� Clinical interview, psychometric tests, Observation etc.

� Treatment:

� Therapy, assessment feedback, care guidelines/ recommendations, use of a

consultation model etc.

Clinical Psychologists Work In:� NHS Community Mental Health services

� Community offices / hubs where they might see patients or may use a room in a GP’s office.

� NHS Hospital inpatient services

� Mental health wards

� Care of the elderly

� Care for those with physical health concerns

� Neuropsychology

� Forensic inpatients

� In Specialist Community Multi-disciplinary units addressing particular concerns

� Child and adolescent services

� Learning disability services

� Outpatient care of the elderly

� Private Practice

Forensic Psychology

� Forensic psychology is devoted to psychological aspects of legal processes in courts.

� investigative and criminological psychology:

� applying psychological theory to criminal investigation,

� understanding psychological problems associated with criminal behaviour,

� the treatment of those who have committed offences.

� Key roles may include:

� piloting and implementing treatment programmes;

� modifying offender behaviour;

� responding to the changing needs of staff and prisoners as well as

� reducing stress for staff and prisoners.

� research

� giving evidence in courts,

� advising parole boards and mental health tribunals.

Forensic Psychologists Work In:

� Prisons

� Special / State Hospitals

� Medium and low secure units

� Social services

� University departments

� Private consultancy.

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A Combined Role:

Forensic Clinical Psychology

� Addresses the needs of those with both mental illness AND offending behaviours.

� Work in the High, Medium or Low Secure Units

� In Scotland these combine to form the ‘Forensic Network’

Forensic Network: Admission Criteria

Graveness of Violence High (grade 1)

Medium (grade 2)

Low (grade 3)

Behaviour Homicide Stabbing penetrates body cavity Fractures skull Strangulation Serial penetrative sexual assaults Kidnap, torture, poisoning

Use of weapons to injure Arson Causes concussion or fractures long bones Sexual assaults Stalking with threats to kill

Repetitive assaults causing bruising Self-harm or attempted suicide that cannot be prevented by two-to-one nursing in open conditions

Admission Guidelines Low Secure Medium Secure High Secure

Violence (grades refer to

table 3)

Grade 3

Public order/nuisance offending

Grade 2 Grade 1

Immediacy Acute illness or crisis likely to

resolve in 3-6 months

Relapses abrupt

Unpredictable

Unpredictable

Inaccessible to staff

Specialist forensic need Recall or crisis of former medium/

high-security patient

Current mental state associated

with violence

Arson

Jealousy

Resentful stalking

Exceeds low secure capacity

Sadistic

Paraphilias associated with violence

Exceeds medium security

Absconding Impulsive absconding Pre-sentence serious charge

Other obvious motivation to abscond

Can coordinate outside help

Past absconding from medium or

high security

Public confidence issues Short-term family sensitivities Predictable potential victims

Local notoriety

National notoriety

Forensic Clinical Psychologist:

A day in the life of…

� Work in a multi-disciplinary team

� Assessment:

� For admission or case reviews (biannual)

� Treatment needs

� Current progress

� Risk Assessment

� Personality Disorder Assessment

� Neuropsychological Assessment

� Pre-and post treatment evaluations

Forensic Clinical Psychologist:

A day in the life of… (cont.)

� Treatment

� Treatment for mental illness

� Eg. Cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis

� Treatments for offending behaviours

� Group or 1:1 work with patients

Would I recommend it?

� Constantly challenging – both intellectually and in terms of therapeutic

relationship

� Ability to develop a narrow specialisation in an area that really

interests you

� Vicarious traumatisation

� Institutionalisation

� Job security and pay

Still interested? Then you need…

� Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC)

� You can get the GBC by completing a qualification a:

� Society accredited Undergraduate Psychology Honours Degrees

� Society accredited Psychology Conversion Courses

� You will need a 2:2 honours for GBC BUT at least a 2:1 for Clinical.

� Work Experience

� Ideally as an assistant psychologist

� Supervised by a clinical psychologist

� OR utilising psychological skills with a client group

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Clearing House for Postgraduate Courses in

Clinical Psychology

� All the courses are:

� approved by the Health & Care Professions Council

� Approved by the British Psychological Society

� Make you eligible to work as a Clinical Psychologist.

� Doctoral level degree which combines academic and practical training, including both a research project and clinical placements.

� Full-time Courses only (except Edinburgh but still a full time commitment)

� These courses are very demanding so should not be combined with any other job or academic course.

Training Courses 2013

•Bangor University - North Wales

•University of Bath

•University of Birmingham

•Coventry and Warwick

•University of East Anglia

•University of East London

•University of Edinburgh - NHS Scotland

•University of Essex - Tavistock

•University of Exeter

•University of Glasgow - NHS Scotland

•University of Hertfordshire

•Institute of Psychiatry, King's College

London

•Lancaster University

•University of Leeds

• University of Leicester

•University of Liverpool

•University of Manchester

•Newcastle University

•North Thames - University College London

•Oxford

•Plymouth University

•Royal Holloway, University of London

•Salomons, Canterbury Christ Church

University

•University of Sheffield

•University of Southampton

•South Wales

•Staffordshire and Keele

•University of Surrey

•Teesside University

•Trent - Universities of Lincoln and

Nottingham

How hard is it to get on a course?Successful applications by course

Course Centres Applications Places

Bangor - North Wales 159 9

Bath 560 14

Birmingham 601 25

Coventry and Warwick 396 15

East Anglia 326 17

East London 1,041 31

Edinburgh 489 27

Essex 268 10

Exeter 317 14

Glasgow 353 23

Hertfordshire 524 15

Institute of Psychiatry 1,001 21

Lancaster 406 24

Leeds 541 16

Course Centres Applications Places

Leicester 295 13

Liverpool 539 24

Manchester 652 24

Newcastle 299 14

North Thames - UCL 1,228 42

Oxford 636 15

Plymouth 250 14

Royal Holloway 988 29

Salomons 504 33

Sheffield 374 18

Southampton 320 13

South Wales 229 12

Staffordshire and Keele 290 15

Surrey 715 28

Teesside 233 14

Trent 339 17

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